Fees for Aboriginal Interpreter Service

If you use an Aboriginal interpreter, you may have to pay a fee.

Fees cover payment of interpreters, include administration costs and don't contain GST.

Fee types

There are 3 different fee types:

• on-site interpreting and recording projects including video interpreting
• telephone interpreting
• scripting.

Read below for detailed charges.

On-site and video interpreting

On-site and video interpreting is charged at a minimum of 2 hours at $140 and $70 per hour after that.

Any additional time, charged after minimum time, is calculated to the nearest 15 min.

Telephone interpreting

Telephone interpreting is charged at a minimum of 30 minutes at $35 and $70 per hour after that.

Any additional time, charged after minimum time, is calculated to the nearest 15 min.

Scripting

Scripting services are charged at a minimum of 1 hour at $100 and $100 per hour after that.

Any additional time, charged after minimum time, is calculated to the nearest 15 min.

Example charges

Additional costs

If an interpreter is required to travel to interpreting assignments, additional costs associated with travel and time away from home base may be charged to clients.

These can include:

• fares and accommodation costs will be charged on a cost recovery basis
• travel allowance including meals and incidentals will be charged at the applicable rate each calendar year
  • read Determination 1 of 2024 - annual review of allowances PDF (237.0 KB) on the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment (OCPE) website.
• travel/away time allowance includes actual travel time as well as time not involved with the interpreting job (within standard business hours), and will be charged at the applicable interpreter level pay rate
  • read Schedule 3 of Determination 1013/2023 – Aboriginal language interpreters – casual employment PDF (544.8 KB) on the OCPE website.

Cancellation fees

If you cancel your  booking less than 24 hours before the job start time, you may be charged a cancellation fee.

The fee will be the minimum charge for the service booked, you may be charged:

• $140 for on-site and video interpreting
• $35 for telephone interpreting
• $100 for scripting services.

You may also be charged for any travel costs that apply at the time of cancellation.

How to pay your invoice

The AIS will arrange payment of interpreters and travel costs.

You must fill in and submit your interpreter time sheet as soon as possible after the assignment is over.

Interpreters are not paid until time sheets are submitted.

You will receive an invoice within 30 days of the assignment's completion.

It will include all associated costs and instructions on how to pay.

New AIS clients

All new clients must be set up with an account in our financial system.

Email ais@nt.gov.au with the following information:

• organisation trading name
• section name
• ABN
• postal address
• contact person name - this should be someone in your accounts section
• phone/mobile
• email.